STUDY GUIDE
steppenwolf
Steppenwolf for Young Adults presents:
To Kill a Mockingbird
By Harper Lee
Dramatized by Christopher Sergel
Directed by Hallie Gordon
October 12th – November 12th, 2010
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1 ............................................... Introduction
2 ............................................... In-Classroom Exercises
4 ............................................... Costume and scenic design for Steppenwolf’s
................................................... To Kill a Mockingbird
6 ............................................... A Conversation between Costume Designer Myron Elliot
................................................... and Scenic Designer Collette Pollard
8 ............................................... A Conversation with Director Hallie Gordon
10 ........................................... The characters in To Kill a Mockingbird
14 ........................................... Harper Lee: Understanding a Reclusive Writer
16 ........................................... Fiction vs Non-fiction:
................................................... Autobiography in To Kill a Mockingbird
18 ........................................... Exploring History: Understanding the Jim Crow Laws
20 ........................................... Exploring History: Trials of the 1930s
22 ............................................ Exploring History: Landmark Legislation:
................................................... Jim Crow Begins to Unravel
24 ............................................ Exploring History: America during the Great Depression
28 ........................................... Themes in To Kill a Mockingbird:
................................................... Racial Intolerance and Injustice
32 ........................................... Themes in To Kill a Mockingbird: Coming of Age
36 ........................................... Introducing Steppenwolf for Young Adults’ next show:
................................................... Samuel J. and K.
37 ........................................... An interview with Samuel J. and K. playwright, Mat Smart
38 ........................................... Get involved with Steppenwolf for Young Adults:
................................................... The Young Adult Council
39 ........................................... Get involved with Steppenwolf for Young Adults:
................................................... Teen Theatre Series
40 ........................................... Sources and Suggested Reading
INTRODUCTION
When To Kill a Mockingbird was first published in 1960, the novel immediately
struck a chord with young and seasoned readers alike. Though the critical
response was varied (some books reviewers didn’t know whether they were
reading a children’s book or an adult novel), ultimately To Kill a Mockingbird
found its way into the hearts of readers around the globe. And now, fifty years
later, the book is a staple in most classrooms. Many avid readers and successful authors cite To Kill a Mockingbird as the first book they ever really got lost
in, and in 1961 the novel was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Literature.
But what really makes the novel so special? Is it Harper Lee’s truthful depiction of childhood and coming of age, or her straightforward approach to
racism, class and social injustice? Or is it simply a good story with vivid
characters, that regardless of which theme we find compelling?
In this study guide, you will find suggested preparatory exercises for the
classroom, contextual information on Harper Lee, the Jim Crow laws in effect
during the time the story takes place and background information on The
Great Depression as it relates to the American South in the 1930s. You will
also find information on Steppenwolf’s artistic and production process, as
well as an exploration of two major themes in To Kill a Mockingbird:
RACIAL INTOLERANCE AND INJUSTICE
How does To Kill a Mockingbird approach racism and legal injustice? Why are
some characters in the story more tolerant than others? Is Atticus Finch really
a hero against racial discrimination?
COMING OF AGE
How do Scout and Jem’s ages affect their understanding of the trial and of Boo
Radley? What do you think they are learning about their community and the
world as the story progresses?
Whether this is your first encounter with To Kill a Mockingbird or if you’re
returning to it for a second, third or tenth time, we hope this production will
shed new light on this classic story.
Thank you for joining us on this journey.
1
IN-CLASSROOM
EXERCISES
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE A WRITER: HARPER LEE
At the heart of To Kill a Mockingbird is the play’s author Harper
Lee. She was known for having a deep respect for the art of
writing. As a friend of hers once said, “She wanted with all her
being to write—not merely to ‘be a writer’.”
Her journey writing To Kill a Mockingbird started from Harper
Lee’s connection to a time and place in her own life. But as
Charles J. Shields writes in his book Mockingbird, “as any
successful novelist must do, she needed to create a fictional
reality, a unique landscape for her reader to enter.” Drawing on
her own experiences, as well as news stories from the time,
Lee gave birth toa fictional town and its residents.
The original manuscript Lee submitted to be published was a
series of short stories, anecdotes woven together. With guidance from her agent and editor, she worked to find a major
conflict that would serve as her novel’s plot. She chose a crime
that occurred in her own town of Monroeville, Alabama when
she was a child—an African-American man had been falsely
accused of raping a white woman.
To Kill a Mockingbird was an extended process for Harper Lee.
She wrote multiple drafts, assembling pieces of the puzzle
together, experimenting with different points of view and
constantly revising. And it was through this process that
Harper Lee, the writer, came to be.
THE WORLD OF THE WRITER:
EXPLORING TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD THROUGH CONTEXTUAL
RESEARCH AND ART-MAKING IN THE CLASSROOM
Before delving into a study of To Kill a Mockingbird with your students, take time for
preparatory lessons that immerse students in the world of the writer. Through these
active engagements students develop an inside understanding of the artistic choices
that contribute to a work of art and activate their own imaginations.
Follow these activity steps to connect students to the process of writing through contextual research and art-making. Think of each step as a layer building upon the
previous layer. These steps can take place over a series of class periods, prior to seeing
the production.
Supply Checklist:
❑ Blank Paper
❑ Pens/Pencils
❑ Glue sticks
❑ Scissors
❑ Markers
❑ Cardboard/
construction paper
❑ Local Newspapers
❑ Family photos
activity step #1:
WRITING THROUGH PERSONAL EXPERIENCE
Estimated Time: 20 minutes
Description: This is an individual writing activity. Ask students to think about different
times in their lives that might be considered “defining moments”. Ask students to think
about how the place and the people around them helped shape these moments. Did
these moments lead them to see something new about themselves or their world?
Give students about 5 minutes to write a list of 5 moments. These do not have to be
long descriptions; just a short sentence. It may be helpful to provide an example, eg.
when Harper Lee first found out her book would be published.
Next, ask students to think about 5 similar moments, but this time each situation is
fictional. Give students about 10 minutes to write.
After giving students time to write, reflect as a class:
• What did you notice about the writing process?
• What were the differences writing from a personal place vs. writing fiction?
See pages 21 – 22 for thematic connections in To Kill a Mockingbird and classroom discussion questions!
See pages 11-14 for more information on Harper Lee and
To Kill a Mockingbird!
2
3
activity step #2:
WRITING THROUGH CONTEXTUAL RESEARCH
NOTES
Estimated Time: 25 minutes
Description: Have students bring in local newspapers and prompt them to pick a story
where they see injustice occurring. It is important they find the story compelling. Why
does this story need to be investigated further?
Give students 20 minutes to write a short scene using characters from the story.
Remind students to put their characters in climatic moments, and try to craft a dramatic scene. Ask students to see if they can infuse the scene with his or her own point
of view, the way Harper Lee’s point of view comes through in To Kill a Mockingbird.
After giving students time to write, reflect as a class:
• What did you notice about your writing process?
• Did having source material make it easier or harder to create characters?
• Did you infuse your own voice and opinion into the scene? If yes, how so?
activity step #3:
CREATING A STORY VISUALLY
Estimated Time: 45 minutes
Description: Have students pick a fictional moment from the first exercise or a moment
from the scene they wrote in the second exercise. Ask students to think about what
that moment might look like if we were to see a picture of it?
•
•
•
•
•
Would it be two-dimensional or three-dimensional?
What colors would we see?
Would it be sparse or busy?
Would the moment be portrayed realistically or abstractly?
What emotions should the picture evoke?
Give students about 25 minutes to create this visual image. They can choose to draw a
picture or make a three-dimensional object, such as a sculpture.
Then, have students silently walk around the room and view their classmates’ work.
This is an observation exercise – students should not judge, but rather notice the
choices made.
Bring the class back to a group discussion. Questions might include:
•
•
•
•
•
What do you notice in the work of your classmates?
What are the differences and similarities?
What questions do you have after viewing others’ work?
Did someone else’s work remind you of a moment from your own life?
Did someone else’s work remind you of the news article you chose?
For Steppenwolf’s production of To Kill a Mockingbird the set and costume designers start
with visual pictures and inspiration to help tell their story. See pages 6-7 for an interview between scenic designer Collette Pollard and set designer Myron Elliott!
4
5
A model of the set built by sceni
c
designer Collette Pollard. The
model is constructed exactly to
scale, so the director and desig
ners can see what the set will
actually look like on stage. The
model can be so accurate that
if
you put your eye to the back of
a
model audience member you
actually see what the design looks
like from their point of view.
A CONVERSATION BETWEEN
SCENIC DESIGNER COLETTE POLLARD AND
COSTUME DESIGNER MYRON ELLIOT
CP: We’ve been working on this project for at
least 6 months now, and we’ve come to the
point where the design is ready to be built and
executed.
ME: Yes we are! It’s exciting.
CP: One of the main parts of the design process
is actually research. How did you approach
your research for To Kill a Mockingbird? Where
did you go first?
ME: I actually began by looking at photographs
from the time period. And although the photographs were black and white, I tried to look at
them through a color filter. That process slowly
started to establish the world for me, because
one of the first design meetings we had was
actually about color in the play.
A photo of a courthouse
from the 1930s that Pollard
used as an inspiration for
her set design. Designers
do a lot of primary source
research throughout the
process, to ensure the set is
as true to the time period
as possible.
CP: I remember that color meeting! For a few
weeks at the beginning, we were actually
thinking about the play in black and white, and
then slowly that palette became tinted. What I
liked about those old photographs was that
they were such strong gestures towards memory - given this is a memory play. But what
originally started as black and white is now
more of a greenish gray.
ME: Yes, we’ve come to this kind of grainy
sepia tone for the play, which was originally inspired by those photographs. Ironically, there’s
no real black or white in the design anymore.
CP: If anything, there is more color on the
people than in the world surrounding them.
The set is pretty neutral, which is a nice canvas
for the story to unfold on.
Costume designer Myron
Elliot used many different
tools to create the right
costumes for the characters
in To Kill a Mockingbird. Above
is Elliot’s costume collage for
the character Calpurnia with
fabric swatches and print ads
from the 1930s advertising
the type of dress and apron
Elliot envisioned Calpurnia
wearing in the play.
ME: It’s not a set that at all distracts from the
story being told.
CP: I actually remember that in your original
costume collages there was a lot of red, standing in sharp contrast to this grayish green
world
ME: It’s just what I was finding in the research—that there were these reddish accents.
The color just started showing up. There was
this little presence of warmth.
6
CP: I like to tell myself that Scout’s ham costume influenced those red tones.
ME: Ha! Maybe it did. Actually, the ham
costume has been somewhat tricky. It’s definitely a funny costume, but this extremely
important moment in Scout’s life happens
while she’s wearing it.
CP: That’s so interesting. You had to meld a
serious moment in the play with really funny
visual element.
ME: What do you feel has been your biggest
obstacle?
CP: There have been a few challenges. One of
the challenges is to create a word that has different time periods and places. The older Jean
Louise character is part of the world, but she’s
also separate from it. Also, the change from the
town to the courtroom happens very fast. This
needed to be flexible set that could change
quickly before our eyes.
ME: Sure, and what that quick transition
means in terms of what can and cannot be part
of the set.
CP: There are certain things that must be
present: the tree, the porch, the courthouse. A
question I kept asking myself was: How can we
really make the courtroom feel different than
the Finch’s porch? The lighting designer really
helped me with that, by filling the courtroom
with harsh lighting. Has the set influenced the
costumes at all?
ME: Definitely. The multi-functional nature of
the set really translates into the clothing. There
is going to be a single look for each person,
which will work whether a day has gone by or
a year. These are people who don’t have an
extensive wardrobe anyway, and it simplifies
the storytelling. So Collette, what has been the
most interesting part of the process for you?
CP: I think the most interesting part for me has
been the collaboration between all the different
artists. At this point, I have to really think back
and remember which idea came from which
designer. We’ve really built on each other’s
ideas to find the right way to tell this story.
7
credit: Mark Campbell
INTERVIEW WITH
HALLIE GORDON
Director of To Kill a Mockingbird and Artistic and Educational
Director for Steppenwolf for Young Adults talks with Steppenwolf
for Young Adults Program Coordinator Whitney Dibo
WD: Hallie, you’re both the director of To Kill a Mockingbird and also the head of the
Steppenwolf for Young Adults department. Can you talk a little bit about why you chose this
play for the SYA season?
HG: I loved the book very much, and actually the script has come across my desk many
times. And I believe it was you who went back to the script this year and told me to give it a
second look. So I re-read it, and I re-read the book, and I don’t know why – it suddenly
seemed like the right time to do this play. I didn’t even know it was the 50th anniversary this
year! It just seemed to fit.
WD: You usually direct one play per year for Steppenwolf for Young Adults. Why did you
want to direct this play once you picked it?
HG: I couldn’t imagine giving it to someone else. I don’t know how else to say it. I would
honestly be jealous, simply because I love the story so much. It had such an impact on me
when I first read it. I just remember being so in awe of Atticus in particular. I could not
believe he always knew the right things to say. And in addition to being just a moral person,
he really let other people behave the way they needed to behave. He accepted people.
WD: Is that problematic for you at all? The way Atticus does not really challenge the
town’s racism? For example, he refers to Walter Cunningham’s racist feelings toward Tom
Robinson as a “blind spot.” Isn’t that a pretty big blind spot?
HG: There is controversy around that question, given Atticus is passive in terms of challenging the town’s racism. You really have to go back and think about the time period.
Today, we’d never refer to racism as merely a “blind spot.” But back then most of the
country felt the way Walter Cunningham felt. That doesn’t make it right, but that was
the unfortunate circumstance of the times. And I think Atticus understood that.
WD: Right. He’s not a campaigner for the civil rights movement - he’s a small town lawyer.
HG: And he’s not even the greatest lawyer! What he’s trying to do, to the best of his ability, is
explain to the jury that the only reason Tom Robinson is sitting in court is because he’s a black
man. Atticus knows that to be the truth. And it makes sense to him, given the person he is, to
communicate that truth to the jury.
WD: It’s so interesting that so many people first encounter the novel when they are closer to Scout
and Jem’s age, and then return to it years later when they’re closer to Atticus’s age, as a parent.
HG: Oh yes. Atticus really tries to teach Scout things about the world that she may or may not be
ready to understand. That’s amazing to me, as a parent. You’re always trying to teach your kids. I am
always thinking: what do I want my kids to learn from my choices and actions? It’s hard work to
constantly be thinking that way. But coming from Atticus, it doesn’t seem like hard work. It’s just
who he is.
WD: And what do you think Scout and Jem learn from their father?
HG: Scout and her father have a very unique relationship, and obviously this is her story. And I do
think the older Scout, the Jean Louise character who looks back at the trial, does internalize what
that trial meant and the risks her father took.
But I think it’s Jem who sometimes gets lost in the telling of this story. He is the one who is just
starting to understand that the world doesn’t always do the right thing, and it’s incredibly hard for
him to deal with. Jem can’t even talk about the trial once it’s over. It’s too painful for him to know
that people treat each other that way.
WD: And given this is such an iconic book, with such iconic characters, how do you plan to tackle
the story? So many people feel so close to it.
WD: So what makes Atticus different?
HG: You know, I don’t think Atticus is a hero. I actually think he is afraid. And there are
moments when you can see glimpses of that fear throughout the play. To me, he is not
perfect and that is what makes him interesting. He simply knows he needs to do what he
considers the right thing. He can’t be any other way.
WD: That’s so interesting. So in a way, what Atticus deems “the right thing” just happens to
be aligned with what we all now consider universally moral.
HG: Well, I’m scared. But I think it just needs to be real. I’ve looked at pictures of past productions
and many of them are chock full of these stock images, these very specific set pieces and costumes
meant to suggest the “typical” Southern town. Our production is grounded in the characters. As long
as the characters are real, we’ll be fine.
I’m also very interested in the relationship between the older Jean Louse and her connection to
Harper Lee the writer, and how the telling of the story, the memory of it, happens before our eyes.
HG: Exactly. I don’t think he wanted to change the world. He didn’t even want to take on a
case like this one. But once Atticus is handed this case, it’s simply not within his nature to
decline, or do a poor job.
8
9
THE CHARACTERS IN TO
KILL A MOCKINGBIRD
DILL
Played by Zachary Keller
Dill, who at first is in Maycomb on summer holiday visiting his aunt, is
leading the charge to get Boo Radley out of his house. Later in the play
he returns to Maycomb after feeling ignored by his parents in a nearby
town, and stays with the Finch family during Tom Robinson’s trial.
JEAN LOUISE “SCOUT” FINCH
Played by Caroline Heffernan
Scout is a feisty nine-year-old tomboy and the main character in To Kill a Mockingbird. Throughout the play the audience tracks her growth, as she learns to
respect her father’s tenacity and grasps the implications of racism in her
town. Scout is an iconic literary character who over time has come to embody
the coming-of-age story.
CALPURNIA
Played by Sandra Watson
Calpurnia is the Finch family’s housekeeper. She is like a mother to the
family given their mother has passed away. Calpurnia is strict and often
chides Scout for being wild, but takes good care of the children. She is
also a member of Tom Robinson’s church.
JEAN LOUISE
Played by Carolyn Defrin
Jean Louise is the narrator of the play. She is an older version of Scout looking
back on this summer in her childhood, and making sense of all that happened
with Tom Robinson’s trial and Boo Radley. She has an adult perspective on the
experience that the younger Scout could not possible have.
TOM ROBINSON
Played by Abu Ansari
Tom Robinson is a black man who works in the fields near Mayella
Ewell’s house. He has a wife and children, and before the trial used
to walk by Mayella’s house everyday on his way to work. He is accused of forcing himself into Mayella’s home and raping her. Tom is
counting on Atticus to give him a fair trial, despite the town’s racism.
ATTICUS FINCH
Played by Phillip R. Smith
Atticus is Scout and Jem’s father and also the lawyer appointed to defend Tom
Robinson. He is older than most of the parents in Maycomb and therefore not
as active, but due to his steadfast belief that Tom Robinson has a right to a fair
trial Atticus ultimately earns his children’s admiration and the respect of the
black community.
“If your father is anything, he’s civilized. I think maybe he put his gun down when he realized
God had given him an unfair advantage.” -Miss Maudie on Atticus Finch
MAYELLA EWELL
Played by Claire Wellin
Mayella Ewell is the nineteen-year-old daughter of Bob Ewell. She is the
eldest of seven children and the primary caretaker of the family given
her mother has passed away. The Ewells are extremely poor and Mayella
only has an elementary education. Mayella has accused Tom Robinson of
raping her, though during the trial she seems confused and unsure.
JEREMY “JEM” FINCH
Played by Bubba Weiler
Jem is Scout’s older brother. Although he loves his father, he wishes Atticus
was younger and more active. It takes Jem until the end of the play to truly appreciate his father for who he is. Jem is also competitive with Dill, and in trying to one-up his new friend, takes an active role in trying to get Boo Radley to
come out of his house.
10
BOB EWELL
Played by Larry Neumann Jr.
Bob Ewell is a poor farmer whose family has been devastated by The
Great Depression. He, along with his daughter Mayella, have accused
Tom Robinson of rape. When Atticus decides to defend Tom against the
Ewells, Bob becomes violent and threatening against the Finch family.
During the trial is comes out that Bob is a heavy drinker who was sometimes cruel to his daughter.
11
HECK TATE
Played by James D. Farruggio
Heck Tate is the sheriff of Maycomb. Although he thinks Tom is innocent, he
understands the town’s racism and knows it will be hard, if not impossible,
for Atticus to win the case.
MRS. DUBOSE
Played by Elaine Roth
Mrs. Dubose is an elderly neighbor who is constantly berating Jem and Scout
for “running wild” around the neighborhood. While she seems at first like a
cranky old woman, she is actually quite lonely at the end of a difficult life.
When Jem stomps on her garden after she makes a disparaging comment
about his father, Atticus makes Jem read to Mrs. Dubose every evening so he
may better understand her plight.
WALTER CUNNINGHAM
Played by ensemble member Alan Wilder
Walter Cunningham is a farmer whose family was hit hard by The Great
Depression, and he pays Atticus in goods for his legal services. He also has
a son the same age as Scout. Throughout the play Cunningham seems torn
between his own racism and the fact that he genuinely likes and respects
Atticus.
“The Cunninghams are country folks, farmers, and the crash hit them the hardest.”
REVEREND SYKES
-Atticus on the Cunningham family
Played by Dexter Zollicoffer
JUDGE TAYLOR
Reverend Sykes is the head of Tom Robinson and Calpurnia’s church. He is
trying to help out Tom Robinson’s wife and children while he is in jail. Reverend Sykes also lets Scout and Jem watch the trial with him on the colored
balcony of the courthouse.
Played by ensemble member Alan Wilder
Judge Taylor is the fair-minded judge presiding over Tom Robinson’s case.
Though he understands that it is near impossible for Tom to have a fair trial
in Maycomb, he appoints Atticus to the case because he knows Atticus will
at least try to get Tom acquitted.
BOO RADLEY
Played by Gary Simmers
Arthur “Boo” Radley is the reclusive neighbor who lives next door to the Finch
family. He has not been outside in years and rumors of his insanity swirl
around the neighborhood. From the start of the summer, the children are
determined to get him to come out of his house.
“Judging from his tracks he’s about six and a half feet tall. He eats raw squirrels and all the
cats he can catch. There’s a long jagged scar running all the way across his face. What teeth
he has are yellow and rotten. His eyes pop and most of the time he drools.” -Jem on Boo Radley
questions
FOR THE CLASSROOM
CONSIDERING THE CHARACTERS:
MR. GILMER
Played by Gary Simmers
•
Mr. Gilmer is the prosecuting lawyer in the case against Tom Robinson. He
takes advantage of the jury’s racism throughout the trial, and tries to paint
Atticus in a negative light.
Do Boo Radley and Tom Robinson have anything in common?
Is the persecution they endure at all similar?
•
What purpose do you think the neighbors and townspeople serve in the story?
Why did Harper Lee include these characters?
•
How do Jem and Scout’s ages affect the way they each understand and digest
the trial?
•
Why do you think it’s necessary to have the older Jean Louise character guiding
us through this story?
MAUDE ATKINSON
Played by Franette Liebow
Maude is an old, friendly neighbor who tries to get Scout and Jem to appreciate how special their father is, particularly when they complain about him
being older than the other parents in town.
12
13
HARPER
LEE
TRYING TO
UNDERSTAND
A RECLUSIVE
WRITER
Nelle Harper Lee was born 1926 in Monroeville, Alabama. The youngest of
four children, Lee’s father was a lawyer who also owned a portion of the
town’s newspaper. Her mother was perpetually absent and likely suffered
from undiagnosed metal illnesses, now understood as a combination of bipolar disorder and depression. She rarely left the house.
Lee was a self-described tomboy and grew up alongside fellow writer Truman
Capote in the small Alabama town. It was during high school that Lee developed her interest in literature, later enrolling in Huntingdon College for girls
in Montgomery, Alabama. Lee was part of the literary honors society at her
college and was known for her stringent work ethic and disinterest in social
norms like dating and sororities.
She later transferred to the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, where she
continued her literature studies and also wrote for the school’s newspaper
and humor magazine. During her junior year Lee was accepted into the University’s law school, but later dropped out and moved to New York to pursue a
career in writing.
It was 1949 when the 23-year-old Lee arrived in New York City. She was reunited with her childhood friend Truman Capote, and was also introduced to
Broadway composer Michael Martin Brown and his wife, who both became
close friends with Harper Lee during her first years in the city. For years Lee
struggled financially, working as a ticketing agent for various airlines. However in 1956, the Browns gave Lee a Christmas present that would allow her
to write To Kill a Mockingbird: they offered to support her for one year, so she
could quit her job and write full time.
Lee finished the manuscript for To Kill a Mockingbird in 1959 and shortly after
went to Kansas with Truman Capote to research the murder of a family there.
Capote’s New Yorker article about the murders would later evolve into the
non-fiction classic, In Cold Blood.
To Kill a Mockingbird was published in 1960, and immediately garnered widespread critical acclaim. The book was picked up by The Book-of-the-Month
Club and an excerpted version also appeared in Readers’ Digest magazine. In
1961 the book won the Pulitzer Prize for Literature and playwright Horton
Foote took on the project of writing a screenplay adaptation for the 1962 film.
The movie took home four Academy Awards, including Best Actor for Gregory
Peck’s portrayal of Atticus Finch.
Though she was rumored to be working on a nonfiction book throughout the
1960s, the work was never published. To Kill a Mockingbird remains Lee’s only
published novel, and throughout the 1970s and 1980s she largely retreated
from public life. She now lives a quiet life in both New York City and Monroeville, where she lives with her sister and is active in her church and community. Lee typically avoids any interviews or commentary on her successful
novel, though she did attend a ceremony at The White House in 2007 during
which she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom for the book.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of To Kill a Mockingbird.
Author Harper Lee
14
15
FICTION VS
NONFICTION
AUTOBIOGRAPHY IN TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD
To Kill a Mockingbird is classified as a work of fiction, and Harper Lee is notoriously hesitant to
speak about the connections between her life and the life of her main character, Scout Finch.
But by tracing Harper Lee’s life, we can discover some key autobiographical elements in the
novel—as well as plenty of fictionalized characters and plot points that differ considerably
from Harper Lee’s life story.
HARPER LEE IN MONROEVILLE
The youngest of four children, Harper Lee was closest in age to her brother
Edwin, who was five years her senior (Edwin passed away when Lee was in
her 20s).
Harper Lee’s mother was alive throughout her childhood, but was often
detached from family life due to a mental illness.
Lee’s father, A.C. Lee, was a partner in the town law firm, Bugg, Barnett &
Lee. Early in his career he defended two black men accused of murdering
a white shop owner. Both defendants were sentenced to death.
According to Lee, Atticus Finch’s even-keeled, civilized disposition is based
largely on her father’s personality.
SCOUT FINCH IN MAYCOMB
The younger of two children, Scout is close to her older brother Jem.
Scout’s mother passed away when she and Jem were young, this is rarely mentioned in
the story.
Atticus Finch is a respected lawyer in Mayomb, known for his steadfast morality and
civilized nature.
Scout is a tomboy, who spends her summer playing outdoors with the boys.
Scout and Jem befriend Dill, a new neighbor who has recently moved in with his aunt and
uncle down the street. Dill often feels abandoned by his absent parents, who live in a
neighboring town.
Mrs. Dubose lives near Scout and Jem’s house, she is an elderly woman who torments the
children on account of their wild behavior—though she is more lonely than malicious.
Scout and Jem are both frightened and intrigued by their reclusive neighbor Boo Radley, who
almost never comes out of his house.
After the death of Scout’s mom, Atticus hires Calpurnia to watch the children and keep the
house in order.
Atticus Finch is the lawyer appointed to defend Tom Robinson, a black man accused of raping
nineteen-year old Mayella Ewell.
16
Harper Lee was an independent tomboy, according to those who remember
her as a young girl. “She got rid of her surplus of hair in the summertime,
and she could climb all the tall trees,” says Taylor Faircloth, who spent
summers with the author. “When we played capture the flag at night, she
held on longer than anybody.” (Mockingbird: A Portrait of Harper Lee).
As a child Lee was close friends with a boy named Truman Persons, later
known as Truman Capote (author of In Cold Blood and Breakfast at Tiffany’s).
Truman lived near Lee with his aunt and uncle after his parents’ bitter
divorce.
Near Truman’s house lived an ex-Confederate captain and his wife Mrs.
Powell Jones, an elderly woman in a wheelchair who could often be heard
scolding the kids on the block.
Down the block from Lee’s house lived Alfred “Son” Boleware, who according to rumors, was held captive in his home for years by his father, after he
robbed a drugstore as a teen.
To cope with Mrs. Lee’s “nervous disorder,” A.C. Lee hired Hattie Bell
Clausell to watch the children, cook and clean the house. She walked over
to Lee’s street from the “Negro” part of town.
A.C. Lee never tried a case that involved a black man accused of raping a
white woman. He did, however, cover a similar trial for his newspaper
during the later part of his career (see “Trials of the 1930s, pg 21).
17
exploring history:
D IN
A SAMPLING OF JIM CROW LAWS ENACTE
ALABAMA DURING THE 1930S
UNDERSTANDING
THE JIM CROW
LAWS
From the 1880s through the 1960s, the United States
was entrenched in a system of discriminatory and
segregationist “Jim Crow Laws.” The term covers a
lot of ground and serves as an umbrella term for
a wide variety of laws (city, state and federal) that
discriminated against black Americans. Tom
Robinson is at the mercy of Jim Crow laws in To Kill
a Mockingbird, particularly given the play takes place
in Alabama—one of Jim Crow’s definitive strongholds. From biased juries to separate drinking
fountains, Jim Crow laws put a shameful stain on
American history.
NURSES
se to nurse in wards
ll require any white female nur
“No person or corporation sha
n are placed.”
lic or private, in which negro me
or rooms in hospitals, either pub
BUSES
sportation
state operated by any motor tran
“All passenger stations in this
te ticket
ara
sep
waiting rooms or space and
company shall have separate
red races.”
windows for the white and colo
RAILROADS
uired to assign each
ger train is authorized and req
“The conductor of each passen
d by a partition,
ide
ision of the car, when it is div
passenger to the car or the div
such passenger belongs.”
designated for the race to which
RESTAURANTS
the serving of food
t a restaurant or other place for
“It shall be unlawful to conduc
same room, unless
colored people are served in the
in the city, at which white and
a solid partition.”
s are effectually separated by
such white and colored person
POOL OR BILLIARD ROOMS
ro and white person to play tog
“It shall be unlawful for a neg
pool or billiards.”
with each other at any game of
ether or in company
TOILET FACILITIES
white or Negro
persons shall provide for such
ro
neg
or
ite
wh
of
yer
plo
em
“Every
and separate toilet facilities.”
persons reasonably accessible
questions
FOR THE CLASSROOM
At the bus station in Durham, North Carolina
Delano, Jack, photographer
Date Published: May, 1940
Sign at bus station. Rome, Georgia
Bubley, Esther, photographer
Date Published: Sept. 1943
•
Do you think that if Tom Robinson’s trial had happened in the 1960s as opposed
to the 1930s that the outcome would have been different?
•
Given the strict segregation in Maycomb, why do you think Mayella Ewell is
drawn to Tom Robinson in the first place?
•
How are we as a country still coping with the aftermath of Jim Crow?
Do you see long-term effects of those laws today?
HISTORICAL TIMELINE
1865
1868
1870
1896
1909
1922
1925
The Civil War ends.
Slavery is abolished
under the 13th
Amendment.
14th Amendment is ratified,
granting U.S. citizenship to black
Americans and equal protection
under the law to all persons.
The 15th Amendment is
ratified, banning racial
discrimination as it relates
to voting and elections.
The U.S. Supreme Court endorses a
“separate but equal” system in the
Plessy v. Ferguson case. Jim Crow laws
begin to take effect across America.
The National Association
for the Advancement of
Colored People (NAACP)
is created.
In Moore v. Depsey, the state of Arkansas sentences twelve
black farmers to death for allegedly killing whites during a
riot. In a major victory for the NAACP, the U.S. Supreme court
overturns the sentences. Arkansas frees all twelve men.
The Ku Klux Klan marches in
Washington, D.C. during its
first national demonstration.
19
exploring history:
TRIALS OF
THE 1930S
IN THE DIALOGUE...
Mr. Gilmer: Tell me boy. Why did you run away?
Tom Robinson: I was scared, sir.
Mr. Gilmer: If you had a clear conscience, boy,
why were you scared?
Tom Robinson: Like I said before, it weren’t safe
for any colored man to be in a fix like that.
Defense attorney Samuel Leibowitz meets with
his clients; Scottsboro, Alabama (1933).
Photo credit: Brown Brothers, Sterling, PA.
Is Tom Robinson’s case based on a true story? Or is it meant to be representative of
many different trials going on in America during the 1930s?
Growing up in Alabama, there are certain trials that the young Harper Lee would have
heard about, through her father or by reading the newspaper in her town. Below you
will find a few cases that the young writer likely internalized as a young girl, and were
seemingly influential in shaping To Kill a Mockingbird.
Despite the lack of evidence, the all-white jury convicted the nine riders and sentenced eight
of the nine to death (the youngest, a twelve year old boy, was sentenced to life in prison).While
the Supreme Court did eventually overturn the sentences (Powell v. Alabama), many of the
defendants were retried and reconvicted in the Alabama courts. It was not until six years later
that Alabama agreed to release four of the youngest defendants, all of whom had already
served six years in jail.
WALTER LETT: A REAL LIFE TOM ROBINSON?
When Harper Lee was 10 years old, a black man named Walter Lett was falsely accused
of raping a white woman near Monroeville. While her father did not work on the case,
the newspaper he wrote for at the time covered the story. It’s likely that the young
Harper Lee heard her parents and other members of her community commenting on
the Lett trial as it unfolded in a nearby courthouse. Lett was convicted and sentenced to
death, but after a barrage of letters protesting the verdict were published in A.C. Lee’s
newspaper, the sentence was commuted to life in prison. Lett died in jail of tuberculosis
in 1937.
PLESSY V. FERGUSON: SEPARATE BUT EQUAL
To Kill a Mockingbird contains many examples of a “separate but equal” legal system, a precedent set by the Plessy v. Ferguson case of 1896. When we see the black citizens of Monroeville
sitting in the upper balcony of the courthouse or see an all-white jury representing a racially
mixed town – these are all examples of a “separate but equal” society. Throughout To Kill a
Mockingbird we see the dangers of this system, wherein black citizens have no legal way to
defend themselves against racism and segregation.
What happened in Plessy v. Ferguson?
THE SCOTTSBORO CASE: JUDICIAL RACISM AT ITS WORST
Lee was also likely influenced by the infamous Scottsboro case, a 1931 trial that took
place in Scottsboro, Alabama. Nine black youths were accused of raping two white
women on a freight train making its way through the Alabama countryside. On the
evening of March 25, 1931 a fight broke out on the train between a group of white and
black riders (all of whom were homeless vagabonds looking for work). The white riders
were subsequently thrown off the train in a nearby town, where they reported the
incident to the station manager there. When the train made its next top in Paint Rock,
Alabama, the nine black riders were suddenly detained and arrested. As the arrests
were being made, two women (dressed in men’s clothing) emerged from the train.
Immediately the black men were also accused of rape and taken to jail.
After Homer Plessy was arrested for sitting in the “white” car of the East Louisiana railroad, his
lawyer argued that the Separate Car Act directly violated the 14th Amendment of the Constitution. The 14th Amendment includes what is known as “The Equal Protection Clause,” a clause
that is supposed to guarantee equal rights under the law to all U.S. citizens.
The U.S Supreme Court ruled against Plessy, writing: “The object of the Fourteenth Amendment
was undoubtedly to enforce the absolute equality of the two races before the law, but in the
nature of things it could not have been intended to abolish distinctions based upon color…”
The opinion legalized what came to be known as “separate but equal,” a system wherein races
could be legally separated as long as the facilities were technically equal. Of course, many
facilities intended for black citizens were not – but the system would not be overturned until
the Brown v. Board of Education ruling in 1954.
1929
1931
1935
1936
Charles Hamilton Houston, a black graduate
of Harvard University Law School, become an
associate professor and vice dean of the
School of Law at Howard University.
During the infamous Scottsboro Trials, Alabama falsely charges nine black boys with
the rape of two white women. After all nine are convicted and eight are sentenced to
death, an uproar of protests erupts from the North. In 1932 the U.S. Supreme Court
overturns the convictions.
The fictional Scout Finch is nine
years old as her father defends a
black man against murder charges
in the Deep South.
Thurgood Marshall leaves his private law practice
to head the NAACP’s legal defense team. In 1967
he will become the first African American to be
appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court.
21
exploring history:
LANDMARK
LEGISLATION:
JIM CROW BEGINS TO UNRAVEL
the Civil Rights Act; July 2nd 1964
President Lyndon B. Johnson signs
courtesy of the LBJ Library
Photograph by Cecil Stoughton,
THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1964
Ten years after Brown, racial discrimination and segregation were still widespread,
particularly in Southern states that had found ways around the Brown decision and its
implications. In a 1963 speech, President John F. Kennedy introduced a bill that would
bar discrimination in employment, education, housing and public facilities. It passed
first in the House (290-130) but stalled for 54 days in the Senate due to a Republican
filibuster. The Senate then introduced a substitute bill that relaxed governmental controls over private business, and that bill passed 73-27 on June 19, 1964. The Civil Rights
Act was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson on July 2nd. Johnson allegedly
put down his pen and whispered to an aid, “We have lost the South for a generation.”
In To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus is doing his small part to fight against the
South’s vicious racism. However, it would be years before landmark court
cases and broad sweeping civil rights legislation would give activists the
tools they needed to really pursue equality. In To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus
has no legal precedent on which to rely to adequately protect his client
from the racial discrimination of an all-white jury. But thirty years later,
he might have had more legal options and a stronger case.
THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT OF 1965
A year later the House and Senate also passed the Voting Rights Act, which barred racial
discrimination specifically as it related to voting. Many Southern states had found ways
to prevent a large number of their black citizens from voting, even though blacks technically gained the right to vote with the passage of the Fifteenth Amendment in 1870.
President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the act into law on August 6th, 1965.
BROWN V. BOARD OF EDUCATION (1954)
The 1954 landmark case Brown v. Board of Education paved the way for the civil rights
movement and struck down the infamous “separate but equal” system established by
Plessy v. Ferguson in 1896. In Brown, the parents of 20 middle school students sued the
local school board in Topeka, Kansas in a class action lawsuit, arguing that their
children were forced to attend inadequate schools far from their homes on account of
the state’s de jure segregation policy (“de jure segregation” refers to segregation that is
sanctioned by the law). The district court ruled in favor of the school board, citing Plessy
as precedent. However, when the case traveled to The Supreme Court, the justices ruled
unanimously in favor of the Topeka parents. While the important decision put a firm
end to de jure segregation, America still struggles today with defacto segregation—or
segregation that results for other factors outside of the law (i.e. economic and social
factors).
questions
FOR THE CLASSROOM
** To Kill a Mockingbird was published in 1960, in between Brown v. Board of Education and
The Civil Rights Act of 1964. Though To Kill a Mockingbird takes place in the 1930s, the
book was actually published during the heart of the civil rights movement. **
•
People born in the early part of the 20th century lived through both strict
Jim Crow segregation followed by the Civil Rights movement. How do you
think children who grew up with Jim Crow made the transition into
adulthood, as all the laws were changing?
•
In what ways do you still see the lingering effects of dejure segregation in
your community?
•
Do you experience defacto segregation in your community?
If so, can you think of ways to combat it?
1938
1939
1946
1948
1954
University of Missouri denies Lloyd Gaines entrance into their law school because of his skin
color. In Gaines v. Canada the NAACP argues that Missouri is obligated to either build a law
school for blacks or admit Gaines to the University. The U. S. Supreme Court rules in favor of
Gaines and the NAACP.
Musician Billie Holiday
records the song “Strange
Fruit” about lynching in
the South.
President Truman establishes
the President’s Committee on
Civil Rights.
President Truman issues
an executive order outlawing segregation in the
U.S. military.
In Brown v. Board of Education, the
U.S. Supreme Court declares school
segregation unconstitutional, overturning Plessy v. Ferguson.
23
historical snapshot:
AMERICA IN 1935 AND
THE GREAT DEPRESSION
In the mid 1930s America was still in the depths of The Great
Depression, triggered by the stock market crash of 1929. As
evidenced by the Ewell family in To Kill a Mockingbird, many
Americans were living in squalor, without basic necessities
like running water, sufficient food and medical care. Both in
the city and in the country, Americans who had previously
made up the thriving middle class plummeted below the
poverty line.
HERBERT HOOVER AND THE “RUGGED INDIVIDUAL”
President Hoover took office in 1929, the year that the
stock market crash sent America spiraling into The Great
Depression. During the years immediately following the
crash, Hoover refused to authorize broad sweeping social
programs for the poor and unemployed, claiming that the
“rugged individual” would pull himself through the crisis.
Instead, Hoover created the Reconstruction Finance Corporation to help banks, railroads another major industries stay
in business. The only problem? Very few Americans could
afford to buy the goods these big businesses were producing
or take the train for more than a few miles. With this
decrease in sales came a natural decrease in production
needs, which severely affected farmers across the country
who counted on public demand for their crops.
24
Part of the daily lineup outside
Memphis, Tennessee
Lange, Dorothea, photographer
Date Published: 1938 June.
Office.
the State Employment Service
Destitute pea pickers
in California. Mother
of seven children.
Age thirty-two. Nipomo
, California
Lange, Dorothea, pho
tographer
Date Published: 1936
Feb. or Mar.
IN THE DIALOGUE...
Scout: Why does Mr. Cunningham pay you with wood and turnip greens?
Atticus: That’s the only way he can.
Scout: Is he poor?
Atticus: Yes.
Scout: Are we poor?
Atticus: We are indeed.
Scout: Are we as poor as the Cunninghams?
Atticus: Not exactly. The Cunninghams are country folks, farmers, and the
crash hit them the hardest.
1955
1960
1961
1963
Rosa parks refuses to move to the back of a bus in Montgomery, Alabama. She is
jailed and a bus boycott follows. Bus segregation is declared unconstitutional.
To Kill A Mockinbird is published and
becomes a huge success nationwide.
The movie version of To Kill A Mockinbird,
starring Gregory Peck, is released.
President John F. Kennedy
introduces The Civil Act to
the public in a televised speech.
1964
25
for food at
s in the lineup
Black American
od refugees,
flo
for
p
cam
mealtime in the
ansas
Forrest City, Ark
grapher
1903-1975, photo
Evans, Walker,
7 Feb.
193
d:
she
bli
Pu
Date
Though the entire country was suffering during The Great Depression,
Alabama was one of the states hit the hardest by the economic downturn. With one of its major industries being cotton production, much
of the state’s economic engine came grinding to a halt when Americans
stopped purchasing clothing. Cotton prices fell precipitously and hundreds of thousands of sharecroppers left their land for the city, leaving
behind abandoned fields and towns full of unemployed workers.
A DARK MOMENT IN HISTORY: ALABAMA IN NUMBERS
DEPRESSION ERA DESPERATION IGNITES MORE RACIAL TENSION
After the stock market crash, middle class whites were suddenly desperate for jobs typically held by black Americans. In the city, unemployed
whites sought out jobs as busboys, elevator operators, garbage men,
cooks and maids – but often found these jobs occupied by their black
counterparts. In Atlanta, a Klan-like group called The Black Shirts paraded the city with signs that read “No jobs for niggers until everyone
white man has a job.” In other cities, the manta became: “Blacks back to
the cotton fields. City jobs are for white men.” There were even a handful
of instances during which desperate white men seeking train jobs ambushed and killed several black train operators. The Depression’s poverty
brought out the worst in people, as economic woes mixed dangerously
with racial tension.
UNDERSTANDING THE SOUTH: WHY IS RACISM SO STRONGLY
LINKED TO THE SOUTHERN STATES?
Before the Civil War, one in four Southern families owned slaves and
95 percent of African Americans lived below the Mason Dixon line.
By contrast, blacks made up only 1 percent of the Northern population
and the North’s economy was essentially unaffected by the existence
of slavery.
After the North won the Civil War Southern families had to comply with
the newly minted Thirteenth Amendment and free their slaves. The
question of how these plantation and farming families would support
themselves without slave labor lingered throughout the Reconstruction
period, and animosity in the South grew as the economic engine of
the region screeched to a halt.
26
When we meet the characters in To Kill a Mockingbird, only 70 years (or
one generation) has passed since the end of the Civil War and the South
is still reeling from the economic repercussions of slavery’s end. While
economic desperation cannot justify or explain away racism, it can put
context around why Southern states typically bear the brunt of racism’s
origins in the United States.
15,000
The city of Birmingham went from
employing over 100,000 workers before the
crash to just 15,000 workers three years later.
¢
6
The price of cotton fell
from eighteen to six cents
a pound, forcing over 70
percent of sharecroppers
from their fields.
40%
During a four-month period in 1933, law enforcement expelled over 27,000
people from the L&N railroad, all of whom were riding the train indefinitely
due to homelessness. Roughly 40 percent of riders were teenagers.
questions
FOR THE CLASSROOM
•
How do you think poverty plays into the Tom Robinson trial?
Do you think economic devastation affects the Ewell family’s morality?
•
Do you think there is a connection between economic class and racial
intolerance today? Or have those two issues separated in the years since
The Great Depression?
•
What connections do you see between the Depression of the 1930s and
the Recession of today? How is America’s struggle similar?
How is it different?
27
theme #1
RACIAL
INTOLERANCE
AND INJUSTICE
In the years following the Civil War and stretching into the “separate but equal”
and civil rights eras, the black community had plenty of enemies within the white
majority. These enemies took the form of Ku Klux Klan members who terrorized
black families, local government officials who pushed racist agendas and American
citizens who simply looked the other way when Jim Crow laws were enacted in
their towns. But the civil rights movement also had its allies and activists within the
white majority; people who believed, along with their black neighbors, that “separate but equal” was not equal and each American citizen had a right to life, liberty
and the pursuit of happiness as guaranteed by the United States constitution.
RACISM IN TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD
In To Kill a Mockingbird, we see Maycomb residents who represent
both ends of the spectrum. We have Atticus Finch who, while not
an activist, clearly believes that every person regardless of their skin
color has the right to a fair trial. We see Walter Cunningham, who
seems like a perfectly nice person when he’s delivering turnip greens
to Atticus, but later joins the mob to lynch Tom Robinson. And what
of characters like the Judge and Mr. Gilmer? While the Judge does appoint Atticus to defend Tom and seems to rule fairly throughout the
trial, he does nothing to stop the obviously racist jury from convicting an innocent man. And Mr. Gilmer, although not part of the lynch
mob, clearly exploits the jury’s racism to win his case. And lastly we
have the Ewells, who are the catalyst for Tom’s eventual demise but
also seem to be wrestling with demons unrelated to race.
ARE WE OUR PARENTS?
In To Kill a Mockingbird, Scout and Jem observe the way their father
treats Calpurnia, Reverend Sykes and Tom Robinson with respect.
They learn a lot from Atticus as he navigates the trial and begin to
internalize his morality and worldview throughout the course of the
play. We also see Walter Cunningham Jr. ask Scout in the first scene
of the play “why her daddy defends niggers,” and suggests that Atticus is a disgrace for taking on the case. Later in the play we observe
his father Walter Cunningham join the mob to lynch Tom Robinson,
and suddenly the connection between Walter Cunningham and his
son becomes clear.
Do you think children usually adopt the morals of their parents? And
when a child does reject their parents’ value system, where do you
think that rebellion comes from? Do you think Scout and Jem are the
people they are because of Atticus?
King Farm strike.
Members of the picket line at
st 1938.
Morrisville, Pennsylvania. Augu
ress
Courtesy of the Library of Cong
28
1940.
Durham, North Carolina. May
Jack Delano, photographer.
ress
Courtesy of the Library of Cong
Louisville
A Greyhound rest stop between
and Nashville. September 1943.
Esther Bubley, photographer
ress
Courtesy of the Library of Cong
29
questions
FOR THE CLASSROOM
•
How much do you think where a person lives affects their character?
•
Do you think you’re more influenced by the people at your school or your
family? Has your family’s ethics ever come in conflict the majority opinion
at your school?
•
Do you think racism can actually be spoken about on a spectrum?
Or do you think there is no such thing as being less or more racist?
NOTES
THE QUESTIONS OF ATTICUS FINCH: ACCOMODATION OR REFORM?
Do you think Atticus does enough to save Tom Robinson? While he’s clearly fighting an uphill battle
in Maycomb, some critics suggest that Atticus Finch is not deserving of the unchecked praise readers
have showered on his character since the novel’s publication.
Author Malcolm Gladwell wrote about this question in a New Yorker article entitled The Courthouse Ring:
Atticus Finch and the Limits of Southern Liberalism. In it he writes: “(Atticus Finch’s) hearts-and-minds
approach is about accommodation, not reform…. Finch will stand up to racists. He’ll use his moral
authority to shame them into silence. What he will not do is look at the problem of racism outside the
immediate context of Mr. Cunningham, Bob Ewell and the island community of Maycomb, Alabama.”
Gladwell goes onto explain that Atticus isn’t attempting to affect change in the country’s racist legal
system, but rather is simply doing his best for Tom Robinson under the given circumstances.
questions
FOR THE CLASSROOM
•
IN THE DIALOGUE...
“I thought to myself, take
note of this time and
place. It’s 1935 and it’s
Maycomb, Alabama, and
we’re making a step—it’s
just a baby step, but
it’s a step.” —Miss Maudie
30
Do you agree that Atticus’ approach is more about accomodation
than reform?
Lastly, the same New Yorker article points out that Atticus
refuses to criticize his racist neighbors, even when they threaten
to lynch his client. Gladwell takes issue with the fact that Atticus
refers to Walter Cunningham’s racism as a “blind spot”—given
racism, particularly the type of vicious racism that motivates a
lynch mob, is far more than a ‘blind spot.”
•
Do you think Atticus should have taken a firmer stance against racism
in his town? Do you think he is letting people like Walter Cunningham
off too easy?
•
Do you think Tom Robinson’s trial is actually a step forwrad for Maycomb?
Do you think after Tom’s trial the town made progress, or do you think
they’ve ended up right where they started?
31
theme #2
COMING OF AGE
What does it mean to “come of age?” The phrase has become a cliché over time, and
has been used to describe novels, plays and movies that have to do with adolescence
and getting older. But what does the phrase actually tell us about a young character’s
journey? What does it mean to say that a character has “come of age” and how can
you tell when he or she has arrived at that pivotal moment?
COMING OF AGE IN TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD
While it may be an impossible task to delineate exactly what “coming of age” means
across various works and genres, it is possible to define what that journey means for
Scout and Jem Finch. When we first meet Scout and Jem, they are at the beginning of
what will turn out to be an extremely influential event in their lives: the trial of Tom
Robinson. Right at the start they are on their father’s side, though they don’t quite
understand why he’s doing what he’s doing.
The next page shows a snapshot of Scout at the beginning of the play, trying to
understanding her father’s choices:
IN THE DIALOGUE...
Scout: Atticus, do you defend niggers?
Atticus: Of course I do. Don’t say ‘nigger’ Scout. That’s common.
Scout: It’s what everybody at school says.
Atticus: From now on it’ll be everybody less one.
Scout: Do all lawyers defend… Negroes?
Atticus: They do.
Scout: Then why does everyone make it sound like you’re doing something awful?
At what point does Scout adopt these morals as her own? In the above scene it’s
clear Scout is still trying to find her way through this difficult conversation, and
she’s still not sure where her own beliefs lie. She is tugged in one direction by her
classmates and the ubiquitous “everyone” who believe Atticus is a disgrace for taking on the case. And she is tugged in the other direction by her father, who insists
that Tom Robinson deserves a fair trial.
32
THE LOSS OF INNOCENCE
After watching Tom Robinson’s trial, Jem and Scout are convinced
the jury will find him innocent:
IN THE DIALOGUE...
Jem: Don’t fret Reverend, we’ve won it. Don’t see how any jury could convict
on what we heard.
Reverend Sykes: Mister Jem I’ve never seen any jury decide in favor of a
black man.
When the verdict is read the children are shocked, and their
understanding of the world is forever altered.
IN THE DIALOGUE...
Jem: I always thought Maycomb folks were the best folks in the world.
Jem cannot reconcile his understanding of right and wrong with
what has just occurred in the courtroom. This moment, when a
young person realizes that people are flawed and the world can be
a cruel and unfair place, is often referred to as a “loss of innocence.” Loss of innocence is an unfortunate reality of growing older
or “coming of age” and we can see how hard this journey is for
Scout and Jem Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird.
questions
FOR THE CLASSROOM
•
Can you pinpoint a “coming of age” moment in your childhood?
How did you adjust your understanding of the world and move forward?
•
Do you think Scout’s “coming of age” moment happens during the play?
Or does it happen sometime after, as the Jean Louse character grows older?
•
How is the final scene of the play (with Boo Radley) indicative of
Scout’s growth?
33
NOTES
ALIGNING ACTIONS WITH MORALS: JEM AND MRS. DUBOSE
Part of growing up is learning how to express your beliefs in a mature
and intelligent way. Often times young people have strong core beliefs
and a defined valued system, but until they find the right words and
actions through which to express them, these beliefs fall on deaf ears.
Take Jem and Mrs. Dubose as an example. While his father prepares for
Tom Robinson’s trial, Jem Finch endures a great deal of criticism from his
classmates and neighbors. So when Mrs. Dubose accuses her father of
“lawing for niggers,” he reacts by stomping on her garden. While his feelings are absolutely justified given Mrs. Dubose’s inflammatory comment,
his actions fail to effectively communicate his own beliefs. If anything,
stomping on Mrs. Dubose’ garden undermines Jem’s point, a lesson that
Atticus tries to teach his son in the following scene:
IN THE DIALOGUE...
Atticus: Jem—I received a phone call at my office. Are you responsible
for the damage to those flowers?
Jem: Yes, sir.
Atticus: Why did you do it?
Jem: Mrs. Dubose said you lawed for niggers.
Atticus: And that’s why you destroyed her garden?
Jem: Yes, sir.
Atticus: Son, I have no doubt that you’ve been annoyed by your friends
about me lawing…. For Negroes. But to do something like this to a sick
old lady is inexcusable. I strongly advise you to go over and have a talk
with Mrs. Dubose.
questions
FOR THE CLASSROOM
34
•
Have you ever taken an action that unintentionally undermined your beliefs?
If so, how did you remedy that situation?
•
Was there ever a time in your life when you agreed with a family member’s
decisions, without fully understanding the reasoning behind them?
When did you grow to understand (or reject) the reasoning?
•
Do you think having Jem read to Mrs. Dubose is an effective way to teach Jem
a lesson? Why or why not?
35
Photo: Sam Hough
Introducing
Samuel J. and K.
Steppenwolf for Young Adults’ second show of the season.
Join us for this exciting Midwest premiere!
An Interview with
Samuel J. and K. playwright
Mat Smart
Mat Smart grew up in Naperville, IL and attended Steppenwolf for
Young Adults productions as a student. The below interview was
conducted by the Williamstown Theatre Festival in Massachusetts,
where Samuel J. and K. received a production this past summer.
Williamstown Theatre: What is Samuel J. and K. about?
Samuel J. and K.
Mat Smart: It’s really a play about these two brothers. One is adopted from Cameroon and one is his mother’s child. It’s just
about their relationship in the suburbs of Chicago and they end up taking a trip to Africa where Samuel K. was born. The quirky
thing about the play is that they’re both named Samuel, so you need to pay
attention.
By Mat Smart
Directed by Ron OJ Parson
WT: What inspired you to write this play?
February 22 – March 13, 2011
WT: You did a reading of the play last summer, correct?
TUE - FRI 10 a.m. / SAT - SUN 11 a.m.
MS: A friend of mine was in Cameroon for the year, so I had the opportunity to go and visit him there. I had a lot of really interesting experiences out there and had the feeling I could maybe stay there. I ended up not staying, but I felt like maybe I could.
And that’s a lot of what the play is about.
MS: Yes, the play changed a lot with that reading and I expect it to change a lot this summer as well. So we’ll sort of be flying
by the seat our pants.
In the Upstairs Theatre
Set on modern-day suburban Chicago, Samuel J. and K. follows two adoptive brothers—one AfricanAmerican, the other white. In honor of Samuel K.’s college graduation, Samuel J. surprises his brother
with two roundtrip tickets to his birthplace in Africa to explore his roots. As the brothers set out on a
life changing journey from the basketball courts of Naperville to a small village in Cameroon, they
control long-buried issues of identity, race and family secrets. In this exciting Midwest premiere by
Chicago native Mat Smart, the possibilities and boundaries of brotherhood are explored through an
entirely new lens.
This is Steppenwolf for Young Adults’ very first production of a new work
that is not based on a classic novel. We encourage you to join us on this
journey, as we bring an entirely new piece of theatre to young audiences
across Chicago.
To book tickets for you school group, contact Education Associate
Lindsey Barlag at [email protected] or 312-654-5639.
36
Who are the Samuels?
Justin Long and Owiso Odera, the actors who played the parts in the Williamstown Theatre Festival, talk about
their complex characters:
“My character, Samuel K., is 23 years old and he’s the
younger brother of Samuel J. He was adopted from
Cameroon when he was 3 years old, has grown up in America – Naperville, IL – and he’s suburban, a very suburban kid.
But you know, suburban with a longing for the urban. Being
that he’s been adopted and raised by this white family, he
makes efforts to connect with being black in America, and
then is confronted by the question of: “Have you ever thought
about where you’re from? Have you ever thought about
Cameroon? by his older brother Samuel J. So he has to come
to terms with that.” -Owiso Odera on Samuel K.
“Where do I begin? Samuel J. is Samuel K.’s older brother
by about 6 years. He’s kind of drifting in life, he’s full of
uncertainty, and he’s kind of all the things that Samuel K. isn’t.
He’s not very responsible, he’s kind of narcissistic. He has the
girlfriend who dotes on him and is very loving to him and he
doesn’t know how to give that love back. He loves his brother
very much, but feels there could possibly be a disconnect
because of his brother’s attraction to his girlfriend. That
causes some problems. Everything is kind of being questioned with this guy.” -Justin Long on Samuel J.
Steppenwolf for Young Adults is extremely excited to share this
new work with you and your students. We hope to see you at the
theatre for Samuel J. and K.!
37
Tell Your Students
How to Get Involved
with Steppenwolf for
Young Adults!
The Brother/Sister Plays Afterparty and the Teen Series eventfor A Separate Peace.
Photos: Mark Campbell
The Young
Adult Council
Lead. Create. Collaborate.
The Young Adult Council is a unique after-school program for
passionate and motivated high school students who want to
learn the inner-workings of professional theatre from the most
celebrated artists in the city. In additional to invaluable face-time
with these leading professionals, Council members attend the
best plays in Chicago, learn how to speak and analyze these
plays, and organize events for their peers around Steppenwolf
productions in hopes of inspiring a new generation of theatre
enthusiasts and practitioners.
Council members receive a travel stipend for their commitment
to rigorous and exciting work.
For more information about the Young Adult Council,
visit steppenwolf.org/youngadultcouncil or contact
Steppenwolf for Young Adults Program Coordinator
Whitney Dibo at [email protected].
The Steppenwolf Teen Series
See. Think. Speak.
The Steppenwolf teen series is a special opportunity for high school students to score affordable tickets to
Steppenwolf productions, meet Chicago’s most celebrated artists and connect with other teens who are passionate
about theatre. Steppenwolf hosts both matinee and evening teen events, and the post-activities range from
discussions with the actors to experiencing the world of the play through dance and music.
Each teen ticket is $15 and includes dinner after the show. To purchase tickets call Audience Services at
312-335-1650 and mention the appropriate source code. Or, you can arrive at the theatre 1/2 hour before
the show begins and purchase your ticket at the door. All performances are at 1650 North Halsted.
STEPPENWOLF
IS RENAMING
THE TEEN SERIES
Upcoming Teen Events:
The winner will receive FREE
Steppenwolf tickets for a year!*
To Kill a Mockingbird
Saturday, November 6th at 7:30pm
Source code: 7247
Steppenwolf's teen series—currently known as the MaTEENeée
Series —needs a new name. Daytime MaTEENee events
feature lunch and discussion with the actors, and our new evening
event series includes music, food, dance and other artistic elements
inspired by the play. All events are hosted by the Steppenwolf
Young Adult Council.
Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Saturday, January 29th at 3pm
Source code: 7248
So now for the big question: What should Steppenwolf call this series, so it is inclusive of both the daytime and evening events?
Sex with Strangers
Saturday, March 26th at 3pm
Source code: 7250
How to Enter:
Submit your name, grade, school and suggested teen series name
to [email protected] by the end of September.
The Hot L Baltimore
Saturday, April 30th at 7:30pm
Source Code: 7251
Samuel J. and K.
Saturday, February 26th at 11am
Source code: 7249
Questions about the series or renaming contest? Contact Program
Coordinator Whitney Dibo at [email protected].
Pictured: Members of the 2009-2010 Young Adult Council.
Photos: Peter Coombs
* Tickets can only be used during the teen event series.
39
SOURCES AND
SUGGESTED READING
SOURCES
Written by
Shields, Charles J. Mockingbird: A Portrait of Harper Lee. 1st ed. New York, NY: Henry Holt and Co., 2006. Print.
Steppenwolf for Young Adults’ Program Coordinator
Monroe County Heritage Museums, Monroeville: The Search for Harper Lee’s Maycomb
(Images of America: Alabama). Comp. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing, 1999. Print.
Edited by
http://kclibrary.lonestar.edu/decade30.html
http://xroads.virginia.edu/~1930s2/Time/timefr.html
http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/snprelief1.htm
http://www.cnn.com/2006/EDUCATION/01/31/extra.civil.rights.timeline/index.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/30/books/30lee.html
http://www.ushistory.org/more/timeline.htm
http://www.english.illinois.edu/maps/depression/photoessay.htm
http://www.lausd.k12.ca.us/Belmont_HS/tkm/background_links.html
http://lcweb2.loc.gov
http://www.archives.state.al.us/aho.html
http://www.oldstatehouse.com/exhibits/virtual/hard_times/
http://academic.udayton.edu/race/02rights/jcrow02.htm
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/jimcrow/stories_events.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/11/books/review/11keillor.html
http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/list/085_disc.html
Steppenwolf for Young Adults Artistic and Educational Director
WHITNEY DIBO
SUGGESTED READING
About Jim Crow Laws
Websites:
Websites:
• http://kclibrary.lonestar.edu/decade30.html
• http://xroads.virginia.edu/~1930s/PRINT/
printfr.html
• http://www.pbs.org/wnet/jimcrow/index.html
• http://academic.udayton.edu/race/02rights/
jcrow02.htm
Books:
Books:
The 1930s
by William H. Young with Nancy K. Young
Remembering Jim Crow: African Americans tell about life
in the segregated South
edited by William H. Chafe.
About Harper Lee
http://www.nytimes.com
• Mockingbird: A Portrait of Harper Lee
by Charles J. Shields
• I am Scout: the biography of Harper Lee
by Charles Shields
40
Designed by
SIMONE MARTIN-NEWBERRY
Design and Content Associate
Additional contributors
LINDSEY BARLAG
JEREMY OHRINGER
Special thanks to Collette Pollard, Myron Elliot and Luis A. Ibarra.
We gratefully acknowledge the contributions of those who provide significant support
for Steppenwolf for Young Adults in the 2010/2011 season:
About the 1930s
The Great Depression (Eyewitness History Series)
by David F. Burg
HALLIE GORDON
Jim Crow Guide: The Way It Was
by Stetson Kennedy
JPMorgan Chase & Co. is a major corporate sponsor of Steppenwolf for Young Adults.
Target is the sponsor of the Target 2-for-1 Sunday Matinees.
Major foundation support for Steppenwolf for Young Adults is provided by the Polk Bros.
Foundation, William Randolph Hearst Foundations and Alphawood Foundation.
The Individual Consortium of Sponsors for Steppenwolf for Young Adults is comprised of:
David Herro and Jay Franke, David and Susan Kalt, Barrett B. Murphy and Lynn Lockwood
Murphy, Sean and Nora Daley Conroy, George A. Joseph and Carloyn Bateman and Nina B.
Winston.
Steppenwolf’s Auxiliary Council, a community of dynamic young professionals, dedicates
their support to Steppenwolf for Young Adults.
Additional support is provided by the Motorola Foundation, Lloyd A. Fry Foundation,
The Crown Family, Field Foundation of Illinois, Dr. Scholl Foundation, Northern Trust,
Siragusa Foundation, Ernst & Young LLP, Grover Hermann Foundation, ITW Foundation,
The McGraw-Hill Companies and the Kenneth and Harle Montgomery Foundation.
This program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency,
and by a CityArts Program 4 grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs.
Steppenwolf for Young Adults is a citywide partner of the Chicago Public Schools (CPS)
School Partner Program.
41
“You never really
understand a
person until you
consider things
from his point of
view...until you
climb into his
skin and walk
around in it.”
–Atticus Finch,
To Kill A Mockingbird